Dental articulator-gage



(No Model.) J. B. GRIST.

DENTAL ARTIGULATOR GAGE. V No. 352,859. I Patented Nov. 16,- 1886.

WITNESSES: INVBNTOR: I

. ATTORNEYS. Y

TATES' DENTAL ARTlcuLAToR-eAe E.

E ECIFICAT forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,859, dated November 16,1886. Application filed September 15, l 856. Serial No. 213,607. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J OSIAH B. ORIsT, a citizen ofthe United Etatesand a resident of Hummelstown, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented ,certainuseful Improvements in Dental Articulator-Gages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a'simple and practical gage for giving the bite or in measuring the approach of the gums when the mouth is closed, so as to indicate what length of teeth are to be used, which teeth, when closed, will allow thejaws to approach the exact distance necessary to the preservation of the comfort and symmetry of the mouth.

' To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, which I will now proceed to describe with reference to the drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my iuvention, and Fig. 2 is a' side elevation showing the application of the same.

A is a metal plate, of elongated and tapering form, running back to nearly a point, and hav ing a slight downward curve at this. point. From near the middle of this plate there rises a rigid arc-bar, B, over which slides the slotted forward end of a radial bar, 0, whose rear end is pivoted to or stepped in a seat near the point of plate A. The arc-bar B has graduated marks, forming a scale or gage upon its side, and a screw nut or knob, a, at its upper end, which may be removed to allow the radial arm to he slipped off or on for facility of construction. The-slotted end of the radial bar is thickened or made heavier than its other parts, and has tapped through it and bearing against the arcbar a set-screw, b, which fixes the adjustment of the radial bar on the arc-bar.

On the lower side of the plate A is formed or attached a lip or flange, 0, having a hole through it, through which there extends a chain, f, which-has attached to one end a block, D, and at the other a ball or ring, d, which chain and ball prevent the block from becoming lost. This block has on its upper surface a dovetail undercut groove, by which it may be pressed up laterally to the tapering plate,

5e and then slipped longitudinally with it to the front, so as to cause the block to adhere, and

the reverse 0f which movement causes ,it to become detached from the plate when not required for use.

The operation of my invention when in use i mal position, or the position they would 00- cupy if provided with both sets of teeth, as shown in Fig. 2. The radial bar 0 is then raised till it touches the upper gum, and is fixed in this position by the set-screw. The space between the plate A and the radial bar just above the lower teeth will then represent the space between the upper gum and the tops of the lower teeth. The instrument at this adjustment is then forced into a mass of soft wax or other plastic substance, which, with, the instrument in it, is then inserted into the mouth of the patient, who bites upon the wax until his lower teeth reach the plate A and his upper gum reaches the radial bar. The result will be an impression of the upper jaw in the wax on top, and of the lower jaw and teeth in the wax on'the bottom side, and these impressions will be the exact distance apart 8o measured by the instrument, which is the normal position of the jaws. This wax is then transferred to the articulator, and,when placed between the plastic model of the upperjaw and the plastic model of the lower jaw and teeth, gives'the proper relative position and space within which to construct the upper set of teeth. To make both an upper and lower set of teeth the block D is attached to the lower plate, A, and when the bite is taken the-lower 'gum touches the bottom of the block D, while the upper gum touches the radial bar, and as this block is made of a thickness equal to the length of the lower teeth, (which is-uniform,) it will be seen that the distance from the bottom of block D to the top of the radial bar represents the space between the two gums when in normal position, and the plate A will represent the point of contact of the two sets of teeth. The instrument is then embedded roe in wax and used as before described.

In distinguishing my invention from others of a similar nature, I would state that the 10 cation of the arc'bar B at or near the middle of plate A is essential, inasmuch as it makes the front part of the plate A a handle for the manipulation of the device when in the mouth or being embedded in the wax, and the rear pointed end of the plate A forms a point of articulation for the radial bar 0, which point of articulation lies in the plane of the plate, and does not interfere with the insertion of the device in the wax.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the plate A, having an upwardly-projecting arc-bar, B, near its middle, of the radial bar 0, having a pivotal connection near the rear end of plate A, and sliding over the arc-bar, and a set-screw for fixing its position, substantially as and for. the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the plate A, having an upwardly-projecting arc-bar, B, and the radially'moving bar 0, with set-screw, of the detachable block D, substantially as and for 25 the purpose described.

3. The combination, with plate A, having upwardlyprojecting arc -bar 13 and downwardly-projecting perforated lip a, of the radial bar 0, with set-screw, and the detachable 3o block D, with chain f and ball d, connecting said block to the said lip, as and for the purj pose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 6th day of September, 1886. 3 5

JOSIAH B. ORIST.

Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, EDWD. W. BYRN. 

